Guidance

Fire safety risk assessment: residential care premises

Guidance about completing a fire safety risk assessment for people responsible for residential care premises.

Applies to England

Documents

Fire safety risk assessment: residential care premises

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Details

This guide gives advice about completing a fire safety risk assessment for all employers, managers, occupiers and owners of premises where the main use of the building (or part of the building) is to provide residential care.

It is intended for non-domestic residential premises with staff in attendance at all times and where many, most or all of the residents would require carer assistance to be safe in the event of a fire (ie where residents would not be able to make their way to a place of safety unaided). These could include:

  • residential and nursing homes
  • rehabilitation premises providing residential treatment and care for addiction
  • care homes and care homes with nursing (as defined by the Care Standards Act 2000)

The guide is not intended for day-care centres with no residential clients, sheltered accommodation where no care is provided, hospitals, out-posted nursing care in single private dwellings.

This guide has been published by the Secretary of State under Article 50 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) to assist responsible persons in meeting their duties under the FSO.

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Published 6 July 2006
Last updated 12 September 2023 + show all updates
  1. Webpage updated to summarise the legislative status of the guidance.

  2. First published.